Monthly Archives: October 2010

What Example Are We Setting?

Posted on October 8, 2010 by tomASS

Losing My Religion

Image via Wikipedia

My struggles with religion started floating through my head again this week after seeing a character on one of my favorite shows sing Losing My Religion by R.E.M.  I was reminded how young people must battle with religion based on the examples they see today. 

Lord, Save Us From Your Followers is a movie that asks an important question, “Why is the gospel of love dividing America?”  The movie points out that Christians fight so much amongst themselves about being “right”, that the message of love is never shown.  These LOUD Christians condemn more than they love.   Are Christians today more like Peter when he cut off the ear of a Roman soldier Malchus that was arresting Jesus or are they more Christ-like offering healing and forgiveness? 

All I Need To Learn About Hate, I Can Learn From You & Your Sign!

As Muslims plan to build an Islamic community center, some Christians are showing their love of hatred more so than each other.  I feel if Christ were here today, the parable would be about the good Muslim instead of the good Samaritan.  Christ even showed love, restraint and acceptance of others that disagreed with him to the point he willingly died on the cross. 

One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (NIV, Mark 12:28-31).

It Is NOT A Mosque.... It Is A Community Center

A Mosque Cannot Spit

Christ did not have his disciples and followers protesting the “victory” of the people who had him put to death because he knew the victory would not be an earthly victory.  But first people need to get their facts correct: 1 – It is NOT a mosque, but a community center; 2 – It is not AT ground zero, it is 2 blocks away; 3 – There were also innocent Muslims and other NON-Christians killed in the Twin Towers and Pentagon that were NOT terrorist.

Is the witness for the youth of today Christ-like – loving, healing and forgiving or is it the witness of the Crusades and the Spanish Inquisition where Christians beat, killed and tortured people to belive?   I am proud to say I consider myself Christian because I follow the teaching of Jesus, but I am not really religious at all because I try very hard to be tolerant.  Actually, I usually say I am Spiritual, but NOT religious! 😉 Maybe we will realize we do not have to be right or even agree on things…. but this is a price of freedom and What Would Jesus Do?

Of All The Signs, Which Is Delivering A More Appropriate Message?

 

 

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Walking Barefoot

Posted on October 7, 2010 by tomASS

Ok, I am a simple person and easily entertained these days.  Earlier today I walked to the mailbox barefooted.  The weather has been perfect for combining shorts and barefeet.  Enjoying the feel of the grass and the cool rocks under my feet reminded me of my country boy days where playing outside in my barefeet was as common as sunshine or rain.

As a child, I remember visiting my friends that lived in town.  We would play video games in their bedrooms.  Video games in this day was “Pong”.  But friends visiting my house were exposed to a completely different world – playing outside.  It was very common for my mother to ban us from coming inside, “I am cleaning, stay outside until your dad gets home.” 

We lived in a rural area on a large piece of land and my friends and I would adventure through woods for acres and acres.  Shoes were always optional.  So playing in barefeet for me was no issue because the bottom of my feet were tougher than shoe leather.  My friends were real examples what a “tender foot” was. Now in the house or at the pool are about the only times I find myself barefooted.

While living in Colombia, I could get a manicure and pedicure for the equivalent of $5 – $10.  Manny & peddies became a routine.  My feet have grown soft.  My barefoot adventure to the mailbox was a flashback to even simpler days.  I even looked at the rocks thinking this was pretty and maybe the right contractor could lay a beautiful shower floor using these rocks.  Cooler weather is coming, so I am glad I found the time to appreciate some barefoot time.

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Finally – I Know It Works!!

Posted on October 5, 2010 by tomASS

Naive as I may be at times, I still hope for the best. I write these blogs hoping and thinking people will read and enjoy. The idea to blog really started as a way to find an audience for my way of expressing myself. I do have a small audience and a few are even faithful readers. Visitors from 21 countries totaling 2201 hits with 1641 being one time hits makes 561 the number of people who have viewed the blog more than once. Now – I compare this to a book or magazine; 2201 pick up (visit) my blog and 561 take it home (visit more than once). That means 25% of the people who read or visit my blog come back. I think that is pretty good for my limited experience and developing talent.

Today was another landmark – I found out the donate button really works! After I started blogging, I saw the movie Julie & Julia. Julie’s reader’s started sending her gifts and money. So in March, I had the idea to add the paypal donate button to my blog like she did. I pretty much forgot about it as I blogged about: my friends, life’s adventures, politics, movies, my life with Multiple Sclerosis(MS), solicited advice, asked for help with the barn, written editorials, reported about the Bogotá bus strike, and shared my opinion on many topics. Most read blogs have been: Innocence Taken, Roger Starner Jones, M.D. – Letter Writing 101, A Day at Cerro de Monserrate, I Am a Mexican in WalMart, My Life and the Knife, and Funny How Falling Feels Like Flying….For A Little While. With all the views, hits, comments and readers; it was not until today that I was reminded of the donate button because someone actually made $5 donation.

This donation excites me enough to make me think I will blog more often.  So, feel free to suggests topics, offer feedback and share you opinions. 

My naïvety helps me feel these small landmarks have HUGE significance. $5 in 8 months does not inspire me to dreams of being the next David Sedaris or John Grishim, but makes me feel warm and fuzzy.  One bit of feedback I did get was to have some shorter posts. So, trying to apply my feedback I try now to stay below 500 words.  I value feedback and hope for more.   Because now I know that button works and it has been used, now my question is how to get more people to use it? 😉

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